The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles have made their seventh CD called Lean Into the Wind. It provides chant, praise and worship and contemporary music. The album contains 14 songs, with 12 original compositions. The order came to the United States from Mexico in 1927, and now the order has grown to include 138 sisters. They are based in Alhambra, California, the sisters also have sites in other parts of California, Arizona, Colorado and Florida. 12 sisters who sang on the recording.

"With their rich harmonies, the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Los Angeles lift our hearts to prayer and praise. Their songs are an inspiration to me, and I hope to all of us, to give thanks for the beauty of creation and for all God’s blessings in our lives. May we join our voices with theirs and renew our desire to share God’s mercy and love with our neighbors and build his Kingdom, until this world is filled with God’s glory."

Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles

The money made from the CD will fund their apostolates in health care, education and retreats. The order has a three-fold mission of “Educating for Life with the Mind and Heart of Christ” in schools, being “At the Service of the Family for Life” through elder healthcare and “Promoting a Deeper Spiritual Life Among God’s People” through individual and group retreats. The way of life of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles is rooted in the Gospel, the Church, and the spirituality of Carmel as lived out through the charism of our foundress, Venerable Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament. In His merciful goodness, God has graced our Institute with the Carmelite charism which has its foundation in a long history and living tradition. We are called by God to be a presence inflamed within our world, witnessing to God’s love through prayer, joyful witness and loving service. Our mission is a God-given mission which overflows from each sister’s profound life of prayer. TheLean into the Wind CD springs from our mission to promote a deeper spiritual life. Music touches the soul in profound ways and can open doors that have been shut to the written or spoken word. The proceeds from this CD will benefit our various ministries and we are grateful for your support, however our deepest desire for this music is that it would reach souls and draw them closer to Christ. To learn more about the Carmelite Sisters please visit our website: www.carmelitesistersocd.com (Edited from the Sisters website)

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appealed to the international community to take swift and decisive action to avoid more tragedies of migrants seeking a better life.

His heartfelt cry to the world came following news of the sinking of yet another boat carrying migrants in the Mediterranean Sea in which it is feared 700 people may be dead.The Pope was speaking on Sunday morning after the Regina Coeli prayer in St. Peter’s Square, where he told tens of thousands of people “They are men and women like us, our brothers seeking a better life, starving, persecuted, wounded, exploited, victims of war. They were looking for a better life".

Faced with such a tragedy – Pope Francis continued - I express my most heartfelt pain and promise to remember the victims and their families in prayer.

"I make a heartfelt appeal to the international community to react decisively and quickly to see to it that such tragedies are not repeated," he said, before asking the crowd to pray "for these brothers and sisters".

The latest disaster happened when a boat carrying migrants capsized off the Libyan coast overnight, in one of the worst disasters seen in the Mediterranean migrant crisis.

Just Saturday Pope Francis joined Italian authorities in pressing the European Union to do more to help the country cope with rapidly mounting numbers of desperate people rescued in the Mediterranean during journeys on smugglers' boats to flee war, persecution or poverty.

While hundreds of migrants took their first steps on land in Sicilian ports, dozens more were rescued at sea. Sicilian towns were running out of places to shelter the arrivals, including more than 10,000 in the week ending Saturday.

Since the start of 2014, nearly 200,000 people have been rescued at sea by Italy.

Italy says it will continue rescuing migrants but demands that the European Union increase assistance to shelter and rescue them. Since most of the migrants want to reach family or other members of their community in northern Europe, Italian governments have pushed for those countries to do more, particularly by taking in the migrants while their requests for asylum or refugee status are examined.

- Declaration of the director of the Holy See Press Office on the Pope's possible trip to Cuba

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

Pope Francis praises the work of the “Papal Foundation”Vatican City, 17 April 2015 (VIS) – Today at midday Pope Francis received in audience, in the Sala Clementina, 225 members, administrators and collaborators of the “Papal Foundation” during their annual visit to Rome. The “Papal Foundation” is a Catholic association established in 1990 in Philadelphia, U.S.A. by the late Cardinal John Krol, which provides funding for the needs of the Church throughout the world.In his address to the institution, the Pope emphasised the wide variety of projects supported by the Foundation, which offer “witness to the ceaseless efforts of the Church to promote the integral development of the human family, conscious as she is of the immense and ongoing needs of so many of our brothers and sisters”. The Papal Foundation “devotes a sizeable percentage of its resources to the education and formation of young priests, religious and lay men and women, hastening the day when their local Churches may be self-supportive, and, indeed,pass on the fruits of such generosity to others”.Pope Francis thanked those present for the hard work and sacrifice that this entails, and to assured them of his heartfelt prayers for them, their loved ones, and all those whom they support.“As the Church prepares for the coming Jubilee of Mercy, I ask our Lord Jesus Christ, 'the face of the Father’s mercy', to refresh and renew each one of you through his mercy, the greatest of his many gifts”, he concluded. “May each of you experience the healing and freedom that come from the encounter of forgiveness and gratuitous love offered in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist”.

Declaration of the director of the Holy See Press Office on the Pope's possible trip to CubaVatican City, 17 April 2015 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., in response to questions from journalists regarding the possibility of Pope Francis visiting Cuba, has affirmed that “the Holy Father has taken into consideration the idea of making a stop in Cuba on the occasion of his upcoming trip to the United States. However, contacts with the Cuban authorities are still in too early a phase for it to be possible to regard this as a firm decision or an operative plan”.

AudiencesVatican City, 17 April 2015 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:- Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation;- Reiner Haseloff, minister president of Saxony-Anhalt, Federal Republic of Germany, with his wife and entourage.

Other Pontifical ActsVatican City, 17 April 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed:- Rev. Fr. Juan de Dios Pena Rojas as bishop of El Vigia-San Carlos del Zulia (area 8,233, population 432,000, Catholics 427,000, priests 32, religious 10), Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Acequias, Venezuela in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1992. He holds a bachelor's degree in theology from the Pontifical Xavierian University of Bogota, Colombia, a licentiate in theology from the Santa Rosa de Lima University Institute, Caracas, Venezuela, and a licentiate in history of the Church from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral and academic roles in the archdiocese of Merida, including formator in the major seminary, assessor for youth pastoral ministry, administrative director of the archiepiscopal curia, professor and president of the Scholastic Institute of the major seminary, parish priest, member and secretary of the presbyteral council, and chaplain of the Dominican Sisters of Santa Rosa de Lima. He is currently member of the college of consultors and of the Metropolitan Chapter, and rector of the “San Buenaventura” major seminary of Merida.- Msgr. Francesco Viscome, Italy, substitute defender of the bond, as promoter of justice at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.- Rev. Fr. Francesco Ibba, Italy, as substitute defender of the bond at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

Third Sunday of EasterLectionary: 47

Reading 1ACTS 3:13-15, 17-19

Peter said to the people:“The God of Abraham,the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus,whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presencewhen he had decided to release him.You denied the Holy and Righteous Oneand asked that a murderer be released to you.The author of life you put to death,but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.Now I know, brothers,that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;but God has thus brought to fulfillmentwhat he had announced beforehandthrough the mouth of all the prophets,that his Christ would suffer.Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

Reading 21 JN 2:1-5A

My children, I am writing this to youso that you may not commit sin.But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,Jesus Christ the righteous one.He is expiation for our sins,and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.The way we may be sure that we know him is to keephis commandments.Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandmentsare liars, and the truth is not in them.But whoever keeps his word,the love of God is truly perfected in him.

AlleluiaCF. LK 24:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us;make our hearts burn while you speak to us.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 24:35-48

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,and how Jesus was made known to themin the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,he stood in their midst and said to them,“Peace be with you.”But they were startled and terrifiedand thought that they were seeing a ghost.Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?And why do questions arise in your hearts?Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bonesas you can see I have.”And as he said this,he showed them his hands and his feet.While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”They gave him a piece of baked fish;he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,that everything written about me in the law of Mosesand in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.And he said to them,“Thus it is written that the Christ would sufferand rise from the dead on the third dayand that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,would be preached in his nameto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.You are witnesses of these things.”

(1049-54), b. at Egisheim, near Colmar, on the borders of Alsace, 21 June, 1002; d. 19 April, 1054. He belonged to a noble family which had given or was to give saints to the Church and rulers to the Empire. He was named Bruno. His father Hugh was first cousin to Emperor Conrad, and both Hugh and his wife Heilewide were remarkable for their piety and learning. As a sign of the tender conscience which soon began to manifest itself in the saintly child, we are told that, though he had given abundant proofs of a bright mind, on one occasion he could not study out of an exceptionally beautiful book which his mother had bought and given to him. At length it transpired that the book had been stolen from the Abbey of St. Hubert in the Ardennes. When Heilewide had restored the volume to its rightful owners, the little Bruno's studies proceeded unchecked. When five years of age, he was committed to the care of the energetic Berthold, Bishop of Toul, who had a school for the sons of the nobility. Intelligent, graceful in body, and gracious in disposition, Bruno was a favourite with his schoolfellows. Whilst still a youth and at home for his holidays, he was attacked when asleep by some animal, and so much injured that for some time he lay between life and death. In that condition he saw, as he used afterwards to tell his friends, a vision of St. Benedict, who cured him by touching his wounds with a cross. This we are told by Leo's principal biographer, Wibert, who was his intimate friend when the saint was Bishop of Toul.

Bruno became a canon of St. Stephen's at Toul (1017), and though still quite young exerted a soothing influence on Herimann, the choleric successor of Bishop Berthold. When, in 1024, Conrad, Bruno's cousin, succeeded the Emperor Henry I, the saint's relatives sent him to the new king's court "to serve in his chapel". His virtue soon made itself felt, and his companions, to distinguish him from others who bore the same name, always spoke of him as "the good Bruno". In 1026 Conrad set out for Italy to make his authority respected in that portion of his dominions, and as Herimann, Bishop of Toul, was too old to lead his contingent into the peninsula, he entrusted the command of it to Bruno, then a deacon. There is reason to believe that this novel occupation was not altogether uncongenial to him, for soldiers seem always to have had an attraction for him. While he was thus in the midst of arms, Bishop Herimann died and Bruno was at once elected to succeed him. Conrad, who destined him for higher things, was loath to allow him to accept that insignificant see. But Bruno, who was wholly disinclined for the higher things, and wished to live in as much obscurity as possible, induced his sovereign to permit him to take the see. Consecrated in 1027, Bruno administered the Diocese of Toul for over twenty years, in a season of stress and trouble of all kinds. He had to contend not merely with famine, but also with war, to which as a frontier town Toul was much exposed. Bruno, however, was equal to his position. He knew how to make peace, and, if necessary, to wield the sword in self-defence. Sent by Conrad to Robert the Pious, he established so firm a peace between France and the empire that it was not again broken even during the reigns of the sons of both Conrad and Robert. On the other hand, he held his episcopal city against Eudes, Count of Blois, a rebel against Conrad, and "by his wisdom and exertions" added Burgundy to the empire. It was whilst he was bishop that he was saddened by the death not merely of his father and mother, but also of two of his brothers. Amid his trials Bruno found some consolation in music, in which he proved himself very efficient.

The German Pope Damasus II died in 1048, and the Romans sent to ask Henry III, Conrad's successor, to let them have as the new pope either Halinard, Archbishop of Lyons, or Bruno. Both of them were favourably known to the Romans by what they had seen of them when they came to Rome on pilgrimage. Henry at once fixed upon Bruno, who did all he could to avoid the honour which his sovereign wished to impose upon him. When at length he was overcome by the combined importunities of the emperor, the Germans, and the Romans, he agreed to go to Rome, and to accept the papacy if freely elected thereto by the Roman people. He wished, at least, to rescue the See of Peter from its servitude to the German emperors. When, in company with Hildebrand he reached Rome, and presented himself to its people clad in pilgrim's guise and barefooted, but still tall, and fair to look upon, they cried out with one voice that him and no other would they have as pope. Assuming the name of Leo, he was solemnly enthroned 12 February, 1049. Before Leo could do anything in the matter of the reform of the Church on which his heart was set, he had first to put down another attempt on the part of the ex-Pope Benedict IX to seize the papal throne. He had then to attent to money matters, as the papal finances were in a deplorable condition. To better them he put them in the hands of Hildebrand, a man capable of improving anything.

He then began the work of reform which was to give the next hundred years a character of their own, and which his great successor Gregory VII was to carry so far forward. In April, 1049, he held a synod at which he condemned the two notorious evils of the day, simony and clerical incontinence. Then he commenced those journeys throughout Europe in the cause of a reformation of manners which gave him a pre- eminent right to be styled Peregrinus Apostolicus. Leaving Rome in May, he held a council of reform at Pavia, and pushed on through Germany to Cologne, where he joined the Emperor Henry III. In union with him he brought about peace in Lorraine by excommunicating the rebel Godfrey the Bearded. Despite the jealous efforts of King Henry I to prevent him from coming to France, Leo next proceeded to Reims, where he held an important synod, at which both bishops and abbots from England assisted. There also assembled in the city to see the famous pope an enormous number of enthusiastic people, "Spaniards, Bretons, Franks, Irish, and English". Besides excommunicating the Archbishop of Compostela (because he had ventured to assume the title of Apostolicus, reserved to the pope alone), and forbidding marriage between William (afterwards called the Conqueror) and Matilda of Flanders, the assembly issued many decrees of reform. On his way back to Rome Leo held another synod at Mainz, everywhere rousing public opinion against the great evils of the time as he went along, and everywhere being received with unbounded enthusiasm. It is apparently in connexion with this return journey that we have the first mention of the Golden Rose. The Abbess of Woffenheim, in return for certain privileges bestowed by the pope, had to send to Rome "a golden rose" before Lætare Sunday, on which day, says Leo, the popes are wont to carry it. Also before he returned to Rome, he discussed with Adalbert, Archbishop of Bremen, the formation of all the Scandinavian countries, including Iceland and Greenland, into a patriarchate, of which the see was to be Bremen. The scheme was never accomplished, but meanwhile Leo authorized the consecration by Adalbert of the first native bishop for Iceland.

In January, 1050, Leo returned to Rome, only to leave it again almost immediately for Southern Italy, whither the sufferings of its people called him. They were being heavily oppressed by the Normans. To the expostulations of Leo the wily Normans replied with promises, and when the pope, after holding a council at Spoleto, returned to Rome, they continued their oppressions as before. At the usual paschal synod which Leo was in the habit of holding at Rome, the heresy of Berengarius of Tours was condemned&#mdash;a condemnation repeated by the pope a few months later at Vercelli. Before the year 1050 had come to a close, Leo had begun his second transalpine journey. He went first to Toul, in order solemnly to translate the relics of Gerard, bishop of that city, whom he had just canonized, and then to Germany to interview the Emperor Henry the Black. One of the results of this meeting was that Hunfrid, Archbishop of Ravenna, was compelled by the emperor to cease acting as though he were the independent ruler of Ravenna and its district, and to submit to the pope. Returning to Rome, Leo held another of his paschal synods in April, 1051, and in July went to take possession of Benevento. Harassed by their enemies, the Beneventans concluded that their only hope of peace was to submit themselves to the authority of the pope. This they did, and received Leo into their city with the greatest honour. While in this vicinity, Leo again made further efforts to lessen the excesses of the Normans, but they were crippled by the native Lombards, who with as much folly as wickedness massacred a number of the Normans in Apulia. Realizing that nothing could then be done with the irate Norman survivors, Leo retraced his steps to Rome (1051).

The Norman question was henceforth ever present to the pope's mind. Constantly oppressed by the Normans, the people of Southern Italy ceased not to implore the pope to come and help them. The Greeks, fearful of being expelled from the peninsula altogether, begged Leo to co-operate with them against the common foe. Thus urged, Leo sought assistance on all sides. Failing to obtain it, he again tried the effect of personal mediation (1052). But again failure attended his efforts. He began to be convinced that appeal would have to be made to the sword. At this juncture an embassy arrived from the Hungarians, entreating him to come and make peace between them and the emperor. Again Leo crossed the Alps, but, thinking he was sure of success, Henry would not accept the terms proposed by the pope, with the result that his expedition against the Hungarians proved a failure. And though he at first undertook to let Leo have a German force to act against the Normans, he afterwards withdrew his promise, and the pope had to return to Italy with only a few German troops raised by his relatives (1053). In March, 1053, Leo was back in Rome. Finding the state of affairs in Southern Italy worse than ever, he raised what forces he could among the Italian princes, and, declaring war on the Normans, tried to effect a junction with the Greek general. But the Normans defeated first the Greeks and then the pope at Civitella (June, 1053). After the battle Leo gave himself up to his conquerors, who treated him with the utmost respect and consideration, and professed themselves his soldiers.

Though he gained more by defeat than he could have gained by victory, Leo betook himself to Benevento, a broken-hearted man. The slain at Civitella were ever before him, and he was profoundly troubled by the attitude of Michael Cærularius, Patriarch of Constantinople. That ambitious prelate was determined, if possible, to have no superior in either Church or State. As early as 1042, he had struck the pope's name off the sacred diptychs, and soon proceeded, first in private and then in public, to attack the Latin Church because it used unfermented bread (azymes) in the Sacrifice of the Mass. At length, and that, too, in a most barbarous manner, he closed the Latin churches in Constantinople. In reply to this violence, Leo addressed a strong letter to Michael (Sept., 1053), and began to study Greek in order the better to understand the matters in dispute. However, if Michael had taken advantage of the pope's difficulties with the Normans to push his plans, the Greek Emperor, seeing that his hold on Southern Italy was endangered by the Norman success, put pressure on the patriarch to make him more respectful to the pope. To the conciliatory letters which Constantine and Cærularius now dispatched to Rome, Leo sent suitable replies (Jan., 1054), blaming the arrogance of the patriarch. His letters were conveyed by two distinguished cardinals, Humbert and Frederick, but he had departed this life before the momentous issue of his embassy was known in Rome. On 16 July, 1054, the two cardinals excommunicated Cærularius, and the East was finally cut off from the body of the Church.

The annals of England show that Leo had many relations with that country, and its saintly King Edward. He dispensed the king from a vow which he had taken to make a pilgrimage to Rome, on condition that he give alms to the poor, and endow a monastery in honour of St. Peter. Leo also authorized the translation of the See of Crediton to Exeter, and forbade the consecration of the unworthy Abbot of Abingdon (Spearhafor) as Bishop of London. Throughout the troubles which Robert of Jumièges, Archbishop of Canterbury, had with the family of Earl Godwin, he received the support of the pope, who sent him the pallium and condemned Stigand, the usurper of his see (1053?). King Macbeth, the supposed murderer of Duncan, whom Shakespeare has immortalized, is believed to have visited Rome during Leo's pontificate, and may be thought to have exposed the needs of his soul to that tender father. After the battle of Civitella Leo never recovered his spirits. Seized at length with a mortal illness, he caused himself to be carried to Rome (March, 1054), where he died a most edifying death. He was buried in St. Peter's, was a worker of miracles both in life and in death, and found a place in the Roman Martyrology.

119 min - Drama - January 1989 (USA)The true story of St. Bernadette Soubarous who saw Our Lady of Lourdes. An unemployed miller moves his family into grim lodgings; his wife takes in laundry. In February of 1858, at the Massabielle grotto, their 14-year old asthmatic, illiterate daughter, Bernadette, sees a light she later distinguishes as a beautiful young woman. Crowds follow her and people are cured by the waters from a spring Bernadette has cleared.Director: Jean DelannoyWriters: Robert Arnaut, Jean DelannoyStars: Sydney Penny, Jean-Marc Bory, Jean-Marie Bernicat